Torn
by PallasAthn11
Summary: SG1 is breaking up for good, and now Sam finally has the chance to be with a man she truely loves. The problem is, which man is it going to be? SJ Finished!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Reflection

Disclaimer – Definitely not my characters…They are absolutely amazing though!

Sam Carter sighed and looked out the window into the star strewn sky. She had never expected to be in this position. Reflecting on her history at the SGC, she remembered her that first mission to Abydos. In particular, she remembered Jack barely tolerating her combination of feminine wit, high intelligence, and military strengths. They had grown so much closer than she ever would have predicted that day.

She remembered her first impression of him as well. He came across as a little arrogant, certainly skeptical, but there was a hint of, well, fun, in his eyes. She wondered then if he might be a friend worth having, and hadn't been disappointing. Sure, there had been times were she was frustrated…infuriated actually, at his dismissal of her explanations of various 'doo – hickeys', but she never took it personally.

At the chime of the doorbell she turned away from the window and walked to the door. Her thoughts quickly drifted to the man she believed was standing on her front stoop. She would never forget meeting him either. She had been thrilled to finally have someone to talk to, and share her theories with. She'd never forget being called 'Captain Doctor' that day…or the look of embarrassment on Daniel's face after he shared a passionate kiss with Sha're. With that last thought she chuckled as she opened the door.

Daniel grinned to match her smile when the door finally opened. He always had loved that smile, as well as getting to see her feminine form in something other than BDUs. The jeans and green t-shirt she had on today complemented her particularly well.

"Ready to go Sam? I'm not sure they are going to wait for us."

She laughed, thinking about how eager Tealc had been for the party. "You know Daniel, I don't think Tealc gets out nearly enough. He has been talking about this shindig for days now."

"I think life at the base is starting bore him a bit. He loves being on the surface. I think he's going to miss it all when he leaves for Dakara."

Sam sighed again, as a small sadness once again penetrated her heart. "I sure know that I'll miss him."

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Alright ya'll! I have never done one of these before, but I really wanted to try my hand at it. Please help me! Let me know if there was anything you liked, and particularly let me know if you have any constructive criticism.


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel and Sam sat in the car in a companionable silence, each struggling with their own thoughts. Daniel still had not decided what to do with his life after SG-1. He had been offered a spot on another team, but he didn't believe that going off world without Sam, Jack and Teal'c would ever feel right. He knew with his resume he could go back to teaching, or work at a museum, but neither of those seemed to be the right choice either. He still wanted to be actively pursuing the past rather than reading, writing, and speaking about it.

In the meantime, Sam was facing a similar dilemma. She had been offered the chance to lead her own hand-picked team, which sounded like a dream assignment at first. The more she thought, however, the more she yearned for a more regular life. She longed for everyday routines on some level, but still was not willing to give up her research. Sam loved working with science as much as she loved traveling off-world. She was not ready to give up both of these passions…was she?

Daniel pulled up to the base and waited while Teal'c approached the car. "Good evening Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter" he greeted them.

"Hey Teal'c" Sam replied with a warm greeting.

"Long time no see buddy" Daniel said.

"Daniel Jackson, I do not believe that it has been very long since we have last seen each other. In fact it has only been 2 hours and 20 minutes."

Daniel turn and sighed. "Yes Teal'c I know…its another of those 'Tauri' sayings…I really thought Jack had taught you about sarcasm."

Through the rearview mirror Daniel saw Teal'c raise his eyebrow. "He has, Daniel Jackson."

As Daniel turned to face the road he muttered to himself, "One of these days I will figure out his sense of humor…"

It had begun to rain, so Sam turned to talk to Teal'c as Daniel focused on the road. "Are you ready to go to Dakara Teal'c?"

"Yes, I am. It did not take long to become ready, as I had little packing to do. O'Neill has informed me that the base will keep my quarters for me so that they will be available for whenever I return."

How thoughtful, Sam thought to herself. Is he always that thoughtful? "Will Ryac be meeting you there."

"He will, but not for several weeks. He is in the middle of intense training, and should not be disturbed."

Daniel grinned at Teal'c through the rearview mirror and teased, "Well, then I guess you will have some time to kill with a certain special lady, right Teal'c?" He winked at Sam, who also grinned.

"I choose to not understand your comment, Daniel Jackson. Look, I believed we have arrived at O'Neill's."

Sure enough, as Sam turned around, she saw that they were pulling into the driveway. Somehow Teal'c always manages to dodge these personal questions...which is not fair becomes he seems to know everything about everyone else!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Thank you so much for the two reviews I have received! This has become so much fun. I had no idea how much I wanted to do this until I got started…now I can't stop! Hey, is there any way to see how many have read the story or anything like that? There will be more coming, hopefully this weekend!

The three now ex-SG 1 members were the last to arrive. Cassie was already there, as were George and Jacob/Selmak.

'Helluva party Jack' shouted Daniel when he spied Jack in the rain by his grill.

Jack grinned and his eyes scanned the new arrivals before the rested on Sam. He sighed deeply to himself. Leaving her was not something that he was looking forward to, but he knew he really couldn't stay. Actually, there were times he questioned leaving at all, but in his heart he knew he wasn't yet ready to retire. This job in D.C. would allow him to stay involved without constantly inflicting harm on himself and at the same time allow him the semblance of a life. He just wished it didn't have to be away from the people he cared about more than anything in the world.

He started when he caught Sam's eyes and realized she probably new he had been staring at her. He waved and became particularly interested in the burgers and chicken he was grilling.

Cassie enveloped Sam in a hug the second she walked in the door. "It is so good to see you guys!" she exclaimed.

"It is good to see you as well, Cassandra Frasier." Teal'c bowed.

"You haven't been having too much fun at school, right Cass?" Daniel winked at her as he received his hug.

She returned his wink. "Course not! C'mon, the other two are in the next room. I'll go grab drinks."

The night passed amicably, as the old friends told stories and shared laughter over their many adventures. It wasn't until the end of the evening that things turned a bit more somber, as they realized it would be a very long time before they were all together in the same place.

Sam began to wish that she hadn't carpooled with Daniel. Part of her desperately wanted some time along with Jack. Another part of her was ready to see him go and move on with her life. Either way, she wanted to say goodbye to him herself, away from everyone else's watchful eyes.

As Jack slowly stood to finish throwing out the mess that dinner had made, Sam followed him into the kitchen. She knew this was probably her only chance to see him alone before he left.

"Would you like some help sir?"

"Honestly Carter…now that the team is done and we are off the base, you really need to get used to calling me Jack." He tossed a few plates in the garbage bag. "Thanks for the offer, but this is an easy clean up. No dishes, just the way I like it."

"Right sir…I mean Jack. You might give Sam a try then. So are you ready to leave tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure that my kitchen could be any emptier, much less the rest of the house. I packed everything I could, and some of the airmen are going to take care of the furniture after I get picked up tomorrow." He purposely didn't address her by name.

"That's nice." She paused. _Will he ask me to go with him? Will he say anything? After all we've been through…_

"Is something wrong?"

"No…I just wanted you to know that you'd be missed…I'll miss you." Sam sighed deeply.

Jack looked at her. "I know. I'll miss all of you guys too…especially you. Truth be told though, I'm looking forward to a change of pace. My body can't keep up with all of this save the world stuff anymore. I might even be able to have a normal life in D. C."

Jack looked old and worn down. It was a different look, one that Sam had never really seen on him. "Good luck with that. Sometimes our world goes at an even faster pace then the worlds we've been to."

"Well, I'm going to see if I can slow it down for a bit." He smiled at Sam. She was really what he was going to miss most. Part of him had always assumed that when SG-1 was done, they would have a life together. Now, he didn't think he had the energy to start over like that anymore. He still cared for her more than anything…but he never wanted to be the one to hold her back. Plus, he knew she wanted a family, and he couldn't imagine trying to keep up with kids at this point in his life. "C'mon _Sam_" he said emphasizing her name, "let's go wake up Danny boy and Teal'c. I need to kick you all out so I can get some sleep."

Sam watched him walk out of the kitchen with a mixture of sadness and relief. He didn't ask her to go with him. She was grateful for that, because she still wasn't sure how she would have answered. Now, after seeing in his eyes both his longing for some sort of normality and the way he cared for her, she began to think that a little distance between them might be a good idea. Whether she remained at the SGC or not, she loved the pace of her life and wasn't about to let it up anytime soon.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This is starting to take on a life of its own! I was not expecting that. Thank you so much for the reviews  I have a feeling this is going to be much longer than I had anticipated. I'll try (key word is try) to post a new chapter twice a week…Enjoy!

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Sam, Daniel, & Teal'c left right after Cassie did. Cassie insisted that it wasn't really good bye, because she was going to come visit Jack from college. She drove off smiling and waving. There were tears in Daniel's eyes when he hugged Jack and told him to make sure he came back to visit. Teal'c appeared unperturbed, but he and O'Neill shared a quick look that transferred both of their emotions.

Sam was next, and Jack laughed at how hard she hugged him. He really liked the feeling of her arms around him, but he didn't want to get too used to it so he gently pulled her to arm's length.

"Good luck sir" she said, willing herself not to cry and thankfully, succeeding.

"I thought we decided it would be Jack from now on?"

"Of course sir…what ever you say sir…" she grinned at him, but when she caught his eyes she saw something she didn't expect. In the kitchen she thought she had seen exhaustion, but now she realized it was something else. His eyes just looked so…sad. She caught her breath and said quietly "Jack, are you sure this is what you want? To leave?"

He blinked quickly, both to break the eye contact and to keep himself from getting watery. "I've never been a fan of doing things that I don't want to do Sam."

She kept his gaze and sighed. "Have a safe trip then, and keep in touch." With one last quick hug she walked away to Daniel's car, and didn't look back. _It looks like he's given up on something. Is it me?_

Daniel squeezed her hand when she got into the passenger seat. "Don't worry, I know Jack. He won't be able to stay away for long."

"I don't know Daniel. Part of me feels like he doesn't want to come back."

He looked at her, concerned. "Do you want to come back to my place with Teal'c and me? We were going to watch Star Wars for a bit and then pass out."

She smiled at the invitation. "As good as that sounds, I think I just want to get some sleep. Thanks though guys."

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After Daniel drove away, George went to leave. George shook his hand and looked Jack in the eyes with a smile. "Don't give D. C. too much of a hard time Jack."

"Hard time? I am much more worried about finding my way around that damn city."

"You will keep in touch though, right? Somebody has to entertain me now that I'll be bored out of my mind in retirement."

"George, it is about time you had a chance to relax. Don't worry, if anything good comes my way, you'll be the first to hear."

"Alright. Good luck, and good night Jack."

"Good night George"

The door closed and Jack turned to face his last remaining guest. "Are you on your way out too Jake?"

"I think so Jack." Jacob looked at the other man closely. "You don't seem too terribly excited about going to D.C.."

"I haven't found a good place for fishing around there yet. Give it some time." Jack smiled, trying to dodge Jacob's implications.

"Ah, so fishing makes you happy. That's odd, because I always thought it would be something, or rather someone, else."

"Are you getting at something Jake?" Jack wasn't sure he wanted to have this conversation, but he knew from experience that once a Tok'ra got going, they were hard to stop.

"I don't know. I always got the impression that you might have a thing for my daughter. I've seen you two look at each other Jack."

"Sam is an amazing woman."

"Well…if that is all she is to you, then I think going to D. C. is a good idea. It'll give you both a new perspective on things, and a fresh start. However, if I'm right, then I think you're an idiot running scared."

"HEY! Hey now, let's not go name calling here. I'm going to D. C. whether you think it is a good idea or not. Let's be honest Jake, even IF I had feelings for Sam, I am an old man and she is a young woman who wants a life. She's better off this way."

"Which means you never asked her what she thought." Jacob shook his head. "I'm sorry I brought it up. Good luck in D. C.. I hope you find fishing…or whatever it is that is going to make you happy." He shook Jack's hand. "Good luck Jack." Jacob walked away and softly closed the door behind him.

Jack stood in his empty foyer, reeling from the end of the evening. First he had to say good bye to Sam, then he had to listen to her father tell him that he shouldn't leave her. What he was doing was best for everyone. Besides, Sam deserved what she wanted; a family, a life, and children. With that he went upstairs to bed, all the while trying again to convince himself that this was what he really wanted. Somewhere in his heart he knew it was a losing battle.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I never thought I would get to7. I'm definitely interested in suggestions if you have any. The skeleton of the story is in my mind, but I am really enjoying filling in all of the details. Please keep the reviews coming, they are wonderful motivation.

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Chapter 5: One Month Later (kinda)

One month later, Sam was once again walking to answer her door, although this time she was not quite so sure who had been ringing the doorbell so insistently. She was vaguely annoyed at having been interrupted because she had finally found some time to relax and was engrossed in a book that she considered light reading.

She paused before opening the door to collect herself and laughed at her reflection in the mirror. The grey sweatpants and oversized blue sweater she had on were not enhancing her appearance at all. With the smile still on her face she shrugged at her reflection and opened the door.

Daniel had been pressing the doorbell for nearly five minutes while Sam took her sweet time to open the door to him. He had tried the door handle and found it was unlocked, but didn't feel right just letting himself in despite the amount of time they had been spending together recently. In fact, since Jack and Teal'c had left, Sam and Daniel didn't have many other friends in the area and had been relying on each other for company and friendship.

Tonight though, Daniel had a plan. As much as he enjoyed their heart to heart conversations or the many hours they spent discussing their work, he felt like they both needed a change. Especially after the conversation last week…

* * *

(Flashback to last week)

Daniel had been in the kitchen making a sandwich when he heard a car pull up. He peaked out the window and wasn't surprised to see Sam. She had mentioned that she might stop by when she left the base today. As she walked to the door, he recognized the sad look in her eyes that he had seen when they left Jack's house three weeks ago. It pained him to see her like that.

He already had the door open by the time she made it to the front steps. "Hey Sam" he greeted her cheerily, hoping that by heightening his disposition he might be able to alleviate her mood.

"Hey Daniel. Mind if I come in? I had decided not to come by…but…I just…" Her eyes started to well up with tears, but she managed to keep them from falling.

Daniel closed the door and put his arms around her and gently asked, "Sam, what's wrong? Did something happen at the base? Is it your dad? Is it Teal'c? Talk to me"

She took a deep breath and shook her head before she pulled away had started pacing in the hall. "No, it's nothing tragic, just stupid. I was just lonely, you know? I miss seeing the team everyday, I miss going off world, and my place is just starting to feel too big for me." She stopped pacing and looked at the floor, signs of embarrassment slowly creeping up to color her cheeks. _Oh wow, this is embarrassing. The woman in the Air force can't stand a little alone time. I never should have said anything. At least I can trust Daniel._

"Sam, let's go sit." Daniel led her into the next room, where they sat on the couch facing each other. "It isn't stupid at all. Getting used to life without the people who have been your constant companions for so long is tough."

"I know, I know, I keep telling myself that. I just feel like I should be used to it by now. Then…I started thinking…well, I started thinking about you Daniel, and how much time we've been spending together…"

Daniel's breathe hitched in his throat. He had given his relationship with Sam a lot of thought recently too, with mixed results. He knew that he cared about her a lot, but had never looked at her as more than a sister out of respect for Jack's feelings. Now that Jack was gone, Daniel had tried to see Sam in a different light. In some ways he had succeeded, but in some ways he couldn't help but look at her as a sibling. "We have spent a lot of time together Sam…it's been nice to have someone to count on and talk to."

Sam looked at him and smiled a little. She totally agreed with that. In the last three weeks, she was still amazed at how her feelings had changed. Once Jack left, she had expected her feelings for him to subside, and her feelings for Daniel to grow. While her feelings for Daniel had grown, it had been in a much more platonic way that she had predicted. In fact, she looked at him more like Janet than Jack now. "I agree, I think our friendship has grown incredibly. I trust you more than anymore, and no one alive knows as much about me as you do. I was just worried…"

"Worried?" Daniel was puzzled. This was a better direction than he thought this was going to go. He dreaded the idea that she might be trying to start a romantic relationship here. Not that he wouldn't have been lucky to have that chance, but he didn't want to hurt her or ruin the friendship by expressing his concerns.

"Yes…I didn't know…and this could all be in my head." _Samantha Carter, he is your friend, and if you value your friendship you will get this over with_. She took a deep breath. "I just didn't want you to think that I was aiming for something more than friends. Not that you would! I just know that most guys assume that when they see a woman as often as we see each other they might assume, and I've definitely been leaning on you for support, and I just don't…"

"Sam." He interrupted.

"Yes?"

Daniel couldn't help himself. He laughed out loud. "Don't worry. You'll always be like a little sister to me. I mean, I considered alternative options, especially once Jack left, but it just doesn't work with you."

Sam smiled, a real smile which had become rare, and disappeared quickly. "Well, I am glad for that, of course now you must think I am the most egotistical woman."

"Not at all. Like I said similar ideas had occurred to me, I just wasn't brave enough to voice them."

Sam relaxed back on the couch. When she realized that she had been using Daniel as a crutch she had been worried about what the implications of that might have been. Now she saw that they were just being there for each other, and felt much better.

"Hungry?" Daniel interrupted her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh. Actually, I should go, I don't want to keep you."

Daniel shook his head. "Sam, I'm lonely too, and I would love a friend for company. Let me make you a sandwich."

She grinned at him. "How can I turn down that offer?"

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After she left that day, Daniel had done a lot of thinking. It was nice that they had each other, but people needed to have more than one friend. They were both likeable people, so he figured they shouldn't have too much trouble meeting people. In fact, it might be nice to meet a girl that he could have a relationship with. Once he came to this conclusion he decided to come up with a plan to make that happen. That's how he ended up on Sam's front stoop. 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Alright, I wanted to wait to do this chapter, but I just couldn't! Please review…I would like to continue this myself, but it makes more sense to if other people are enjoying it too. I'm always up for constructive feedback. This should be an interesting chapter, and with any luck the next one should see the return of Teal'c, if not Jack too!

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Chapter 6

When Sam realized it was Daniel in front of her, she gave him a big smile and asked him into the house. As usual it was good to see him. When she watched him walk in though, she felt a little bit of confusion. Unlike her considerably casual attire, Daniel was wearing khaki pants and a nice blue sweater which was definitely too dressy to have just come over to hang out with her.

"Daniel, what's with the outfit? Don't get me wrong, you look great, but I don't recall issuing a dress code here."

Daniel had to stop laughing before he could reply. "Actually, I came to pick you up because tonight we are going out! Err, you can go change if you want first though. I decided that we should start trying to be…uh…friendly to the other people on this planet."

This time Sam was laughing…until she realized he was serious. "You want to go out and meet people?"

"Well…yeah. I thought about our talk last week, and I just thought it might be helpful to meet new people we could form relationships with. Since we have each other for moral support, I figured it would be worth a shot together." He looked at her, hoping that she would go along with it.

Internally, she was struggling to choose between a desire to have some fun and a desire to curl back up with her book. In the end, her loyalty to Daniel won out. "Alright, I'll go change. Give me five minutes."

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Daniel had chosen a local bar for their first excursion, and soon they were well on their way. Sam had actually taken fifteen minutes to get ready, but that was because she couldn't decide between pants or a skirt. In the end she went with a knee-length black skirt and a green v-neck sweater, which Daniel thought looked perfect.

Before they got there, an important question sprang to Sam's mind. "Uh, Daniel?"

"Sam?"

"Do we need to work out a code or something? You know, just in case there is a girl annoying you or a guy that I can't get to leave me alone?"

Daniel started to laugh, but then grimaced at memories of a few girls over the course of his life who had taken much too long to shake. "So, you mean a sign so that you'll come save me if I need it?"

Sam sighed with relief that he understood. "Precisely. Then we can leave 'together' and try another place."

"Sounds good to me. What should we use as a sign?"

Sam thought for a moment. "Well, how about we both hold our drinks in our right hands unless we need 'saving'. Then we can switch the drink to our left hand."

"Subtle, yet explicit. Perfect."

Daniel's phone rang as they pulled in. After he turned off the car, he looked at it and smiled. "It's Jack, probably returning my phone call about Teal'c."

"Oh good, you called to let Jack know when he'd be visiting next?"

"Of course I did." Daniel opened the phone. "Hey Jack!"

"Hey Spacemonkey! It was great to hear from you."

"You could try calling to you know. Can you make it back to see Teal'c?"

"I'm going to clear my calendar as soon as I hang up. Nothing around here is important enough that I can't make a trip back to see my favorite people."

Daniel smiled. Jack must miss them to say something like that. "I take it D.C. isn't treating you well?"

There was a deep sigh through the phone. "I haven't been fishing in a month, I have more paperwork in real life here then there ever was in my nightmares, my life is never in danger here, and there is no one here I like enough to bother. It's lovely."

Jack's sarcasm wasn't lost on Daniel. "So retire. It's that simple."

"Riiiight. I'll let you go. Tell Sam I said hi though, ok? I haven't talked to her in a bit." His voice was a bit wistful.

"Here, tell her yourself." Daniel held the phone out to Sam who took it gingerly.

"Sir?"

"Dammit Carter, when are you going to stop calling me that."

"When you stop calling me Carter, _Sir_. It sounds like you'll be able to make it back here to see Teal'c?"

"With any luck. What are you and Danny boy up to? At the local science museum?" Jack wasn't surprised that they were hanging out together. He was proud of how close his team was when they were together and how close they remained when they split.

Sam giggled before responding. "Actually, we are sitting in the car in front of some bar. It doesn't look like much of a bar, but it has a bunch of neon signs in the windows so I guess we're in the right place."

Jack paused. _Daniel and Sam were going to a bar together? It wouldn't be just them, right?_ "Who else did you drag with you?

Sam hesitated to answer. She thought that she had noticed a change in Jack's tone. "No one, Daniel and I are braving it on our own."

"Oh." The connection was silent for a minute. "I should go Carter. Put me on the phone with Daniel first please?"

Now she was really confused. He was back to calling her Carter, and he didn't use a nickname for Daniel. That was weird. "Sure Sir, here you go."

Daniel studied Sam's puzzled expression before he spoke. "Jack?"

"Daniel. Have you been hanging out with Sam a lot?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Of course Jack. You and Teal'c aren't here so…"

"And you are going out to the bar tonight together?"

"Well, yes. We've both been a bit lonely recently so I thought…"

"I see." Jack's free hand was curled into a frustrated fist. Daniel couldn't see it, but he could sense that something was very wrong. "Good-by.."

"NO! Jack, this isn't…" The line was dead. Daniel looked up to meet Sam's eyes. "Uh…I think Jack might have gotten the wrong idea."

"I think you are right, but why? We always hung out before he and Teal'c left!"

Daniel thought a moment before answering. "That's true. Maybe he has just gotten a little paranoid."

"Paranoid about what! That doesn't make any sense."

"Honestly Sam, I think he's probably paranoid about losing you. I think I need a drink. Let's go in."

Sam unbuckled herself and stepped out of the car. "Ok, but this discussion is not over." _This is the one thing we haven't talked about in the last month, but now I feel like I have to talk to someone._

* * *

At the bar they were each lost in their own thoughts until their second round of drinks had arrived. They remained seated next to each other, the goal of meeting people forgotten after their call from Jack.

Sam had been pondering Daniel's last statement for a while now. Finally, she turned to him. "Daniel, it doesn't make any sense. He doesn't care about me like that anymore, if he ever did."

Daniel shook his head like she was crazy. "How can you say that?"

Sam was surprised at Daniel's reaction. "Easily. It isn't like we ever really talked about feelings for each other, especially in the last few years. Then, he just up and left, without any thought for leaving me behind. He's barely been in touch with me over the last month, and when we do talk it's for five minutes about work. That doesn't sound like someone who is paranoid about losing me, does it?

"Actually, yes." Daniel took another sip before trying to explain. "In fact I bet Jack cared so much that he made himself leave you behind." Sam tried to interrupt, but Daniel held out a hand to stop her. "He wants you to be happy more than anything, and he doesn't think he can give you that happiness. So he left, thinking that he would get over you and vice versa. My guess is that it didn't work that way…" he looked at Sam and continued, "for either of you."

"Daniel, part of me wants to believe you, but even if you are right, it doesn't do me any good. Jack's gone, and he seems to want to stay gone. If he really cared, he should have asked me what I thought." She slowly relaxed her own newly balled fists. "I guess it doesn't matter though."

Daniel saw that sad look in her eyes that he remembered from a month ago and reach out to comfort her. "Don't give up yet Sam. No matter what he thinks is going on with you and me, I can't imagine that he'll pass up the chance to see Teal'c. We can set things straight then. How about we leave now and get some rest. I think we're both a bit worn out."

"Sounds good Daniel, and I do think you are right about seeing Teal'c." They stood up to leave and she thought to herself, _at least that gives me another month to prepare to see him again… _

A/N I know that was longer, but I just couldn't stop! Please R & R!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I won't be able to post again until Monday because I am in my friend's wedding this weekend, and it is out of state. Pleas read and review though, so that when I get back I can get started right away! Special thanks to **stusue **for her detailed review…there were some good questions in there that I think I am going to take the time to answer. No Teal'c this chapter…it is going to take me a little longer to get there then I thought, but it'll be worth it!

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Chapter 7

(A week later)

In D.C. Jack O'Neill was not a happy camper. In fact, he was an incredibly cranky camper, which his staff and particularly his secretary could attest to. It probably didn't help that he had been averaging two hours of sleep each night for the last week. It also didn't help that he had run out of whiskey a couple of days ago and hadn't bothered to go back for more yet.

At the moment, Jack was sitting in his chair and glaring imposingly at his desk. Well, more specifically, at his phone. In his own little world he was content to blame the phone for ruining his life last week. That was a better option than believing that one of his best friends was dating the woman he loved behind his back. A much better option.

Jack sighed, frustrated with the situation for even occurring, and at himself for dwelling on it so much. A small part of him kept trying to convince himself that if Sam was happier this way, he shouldn't care. The rest of him knew that he did care, and he probably always would, and inside he argued back and forth.

'_You left Jack. What did you expect her to do?'_

'_Miss me the way I miss her. Talk me into coming back. Hell, give me a reason to come back.'_

'_You all but told her that you weren't interested. You saw the look in her eyes when you left.'_

'_Well, she could have said something too. Why does this always have to be the man's job!'_

'_You're supposed to be more secure.'_

'_Yeah well look how that turned out. She's already with someone else. Did it have to be Daniel though?'_

'_Can you blame him? He's worked as closely with her as you did. Did you think he was blind?'_

"YES!" Jack shouted, and got up and paced angrily around the room, sick of having this same conversation with himself day and night. He couldn't sleep, couldn't focus, and was only further annoyed by the ever increasing mound of paperwork that he wasn't doing. Catching sight of his phone again, he decided to do something. Anything. He picked it up, unsure of who to call at first, but then decided on General Hammond. He always knew what was going on. He could tell Jack how long this had been going on, and most importantly, if Sam was happy.

George picked up on the second ring without checking the caller id. "Hello?"

"General, this is Jack O'Neill."

George smiled, glad to hear from his old 2IC. "Jack please. I'm retired, call me George now."

"Of course. How is retirement treating you?"

"Not so bad. It has been wonderful spending so much time with my grandkids. They almost make me feel young again." George paused. "I know you Jack, and you don't do social calls. Besides, your voice sounds…off. What's going on son?"

Jack hesistated for a minute, almost regretting that he would be pulling George into this. "Actually George, I was hoping you could get me caught up on the SGC gossip. I'm feeling out of the loop here."

"I didn't know gossip was your thing Jack, but Landry has kept me fairly informed. I know that the betting pools have died down since you left."

"Really?" _Probably because Sam has a new man now_. "Why is that?"

George laughed at the younger man. "Well you are not around anymore! Most of the bets involved you anyways."

Jack smirked at that. He'd always been vaguely aware of the pools, but never really cared. "Well I'm sure that they'll find someone else to bet on." He cleared his throat. "So I uh heard that Carter has a new boyfriend."

"Sam?" George shook his head. Jack was fishing, and that wasn't like him. "I think that your information is a bit unreliable son. The only person who has been able to get her to do anything at all besides work is Daniel. I doubt that she's been on the surface enough to find another guy, much less have a relationship with one."

"Well, actually." Jack winced at Daniel's name. "Daniel was the one I was told was seeing Sam."

"Jack."

"George?"

"Let me get this straight. You actually believe that one of you best friends is dating the woman that we all know you have been…excuse the term…pining for?"

"I do not pine, George. This has nothing to do with me. I just haven't talked to Sam in a while, and figured I would try to validate my information."

"Son, you're sounding a little paranoid. As far as I know, not only is Sam definitely not seeing anyone, but I heard a rumor that Daniel might be working up the nerve to ask one of the nurses out."

"I see."

"Jack…I know that you aren't likely to confide anything, but let me give you a piece of advice."

"Yes?" Jack asked, not sure he wanted the advice.

"If you are so jealous about Sam seeing someone that you had to call your old boss to get information about her, than you should fly back to Colorado yourself and talk to her. Hasn't this 'thing' with you two been going on long enough.?"

"I don't know what 'thing' you are talking about George, and I'm not jealous. Thanks for the advice though."

"Anytime. You could try talking to Daniel too. Good bye Jack."

"Bye George."

Jack hung up his phone and put his head in his hands. He just didn't know what to think anymore. Why didn't it seem suspicious to anyone else that Sam and Daniel were spending so much time together. They both had other friends, didn't they? However, the idea of Daniel going after one of the nurses made a lot of sense too. Part of him felt betrayed, and part of him felt confused. He looked at the picture next to the phone of SG-1, taken a few years back and sighed. What the hell was he supposed to do now.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: And I am back! I am finishing up the second semester of graduate school monday and tuesday, so you can expect the next installment by wednesday. PLEASE R & R! I really appreciate the reviews that I get, and I try to respond to them. I am really interested in feedback...alright, enjoy!

Chapter 8

Two Weeks Until Teal'c Visits

Daniel sat in his office, studying the artifact that SG-13 had brought back from a temple of some sort on P3X-945. He believed that there was some sort of celtic influence in the statuette, but without seeing the temple or any of the writings from the planet, that was a weak hypothesis. He laughed as he jotted a note to Landry. It looked like this would be another planet that he would have to visit for himself, not that he minded. Despite that fact that he was no longer a permanent member of any off-world team, he still managed to find an excuse to travel off-world a few times a month.

His eyes drifted over to the reminder next to the note he had just written. "Call Jack." He hadn't spoken to Jack since that night outside the bar with Sam. That was partially because he was annoyed that Jack would automatically assume that Daniel would betray him, and partially because he was afraid of the confrontation. Nonetheless, Teal'c would be here in two weeks and Daniel felt that his was his responsibility, as a friend to both men, to make sure that Jack would still come. After checking his watch, he realized it was 12:07. More than likely Jack wouldn't be at lunch, and not in his office to answer the phone. With a deep breath and the knowledge that he was taking the coward's way out, he picked up the phone.

After three rings, Daniel was prompted to leave a message. "Hey Jack, this is Daniel. It's been a long time. Uh, I just wanted to remind you that Teal'c is coming in two weeks…I figured you would want to see him. We don't know how long he'll be here yet. So, uh…well, yeah that's it. I guess I'll see you then. Maybe we can talk then…I don't think that things are the way that you think they are. If that makes sense. Bye Jack."

He hung up and stood quickly to leave his office just in case Jack was actually going to call him back. A few minutes later he found himself peaking into Sam's lab. She noticed his face in the window and motioned for him to come in.

"Hey Sam."

"Daniel." She smiled at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to avoid my phone and found myself wandering down here to see what you were up to. I have to make my way up to Landry's office eventually to request a visit to P3X-945."

"Having some trouble with the artifact SG-13 brought back?" Sam had a feeling he just wanted an excuse to get off-world. She sure did.

"Essentially. They didn't get any pictures of the temple itself, so it is hard to contextualize it."

"I see. Why are you avoiding your phone?"

Daniel paused for a minute, and nervously put his hands in his pockets. "I left a message for Jack."

Sam's blue eyes got a little bit larger. "Oh."

"I doubt he'll call me back, but just in case I figured it'd be easier if he could leave a message too."

"Oh."

"I wanted to remind him about Teal'c coming. I know he wouldn't want to miss it."

Sam shook her head a minute, as if trying to clear it. She started fiddling with the contraption on her desk. "That makes sense. Is that the first time you've tried to talk to him?"

"Yeah."

Sam closed her eyes. She had tried hard not to think about Jack at all for the last few weeks. She was so angry at him for assuming that she and Daniel were dating, and she was mad at him for holding the assumption against him. At the same time, she couldn't shake a feeling of guilt. Even though Sam knew she hadn't done anything wrong, even the idea that she might have inadvertently hurt Jack made her upset. Now, at the mention of his name, all of those emotions and more were flooding to the surface. "Did you say anything about your last conversation with him?"

"Just that we should talk, and that I thought he had gotten the wrong idea. You know him, once he gets an idea into his head…"

"He's stubborn." Sam smiled a little, recalling one of his more annoying and at the same time endearing traits. "Hopefully he will still come. No matter what else happens, I don't think he would want to let Teal'c down."

Daniel sat next to her and looked into her sad eyes. "Sam, this is all going to work out. Jack doesn't know anything about anything right now. He's making stupid assumptions because he is scared. This situation won't last."

"I know that Daniel. I just worry…well, he thinks that I moved on. What if he moved on too?"

"I doubt it Sam. He felt too strongly about you. If nothing else, he probably will care more now that he thinks he has lost you. I swear, things will work out."

"Thanks Daniel."

"Anytime. Are you ok?"

"I will be. You better go up and see Landry before SG-13 convinces him that there is nothing left pursuing on P3X-945."

"OK…Sam, if you want to talk later, you know where to find me."

"I know Daniel…now get out of here so I can go back to work."

Daniel closed the door behind him to leave Sam in her lab. She put her face in her hands, trying to sort through all of the feelings running through her head. Even as she argued with herself about Jack, she knew that even once things were straightened out her relationship with Jack wouldn't change. If he didn't say anything before he left, why would he now? She sighed as she tried to get herself back into soldier mode. She highly doubted Jack was going to give away any his emotions, so she'd be damned if she gave away any of hers.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thank you again for the reviews! I finished my second semester of graduate school today, so I am hoping to have the time to respond to all of my reviewers from here on out. Thank you so much for the support and feedback! Please forgive me in this one…I have Landry as a character, but I left Carter as a Major. I hadn't come up with a timeline for this, so please forgive me for that. I don't intend to use her rank much more, it just seemed like the way Teal'c would refer to her. With any luck I will try to have another chapter tomorrow or Thursday. Enjoy!

The pagebreak isn't work for me right now, sorry about that!

**Chapter 9**

Jack paced back and forth in his office for about the hundredth time that day. He had a flight leaving in three hours so that he could go back to Colorado. The only reason he was going (or so he told himself) was because he didn't want to pass up to the chance to see Teal'c.

Even after he had booked the flight he had argued back and forth about whether or not to actually go. His insides still felt torn up, and he was utterly confused. He was still angry at Daniel and Sam for what he thought was betrayal and he was mad at himself for not getting over it yet.

Of course, if she was happy with Daniel, wasn't she better off?

At the same time, he wasn't sure that Daniel and Sam had even done anything. In which case he felt like a jerk for assuming that they had.

If he was wrong…well, he was sure that Sam would probably be furious with him for his reaction. At this point he barely dared to hold out any hope that she might still care, but at the same time couldn't make himself give up that hope.

Once he had gotten Daniel's message the confusion had resurfaced. He went back to sleepless nights and frustrating days. Finally he decided that the only way to fix this was to see it with his own eyes.

And that was what he was trying to convince himself of again.

He turned to the desk and grabbed his keys. If he was going to make this flight he needed to go pack now…

**break **

Sam and Daniel stood eagerly in the gate room. They had just received word that Teal'c should walk through any moment. The blue event horizon shimmered in the companionable silence until finally their jaffa friend emerged.

Daniel smiled and walked towards him. "Teal'c, you're back!"

Teal'c bowed. "Indeed I am Daniel Jackson. It is good to see you." The gate closed behind him.

"We've missed you Teal'c!" Sam walked towards him as well.

"I have missed you as well Samantha Carter."

Sam looked around. "I figured you would bring Ry'ac or Bratac along with you."

"I have not. They chose to remain in Dakara. Ry'ac has nearly completed his training."

"That's wonderful news." Daniel motioned for his friend to follow. "Let's go, Landry is dying to know whatever news you have been hearing about the dangers of the galaxy recently." The three friends left the gate room together.

**break **

Two hours later, after Teal'c had given Landry as much information as he knew with Daniel and Sam asking persistent questions, Daniel and Teal'c ended up alone in Teal'c's quarters. As Teal'c unpacked the few belongings he had brought with him, Daniel paced around the room.

"It is really good to see you again Teal'c. This place is not the same without you."

"Thank you Daniel Jackson. It is good to be back, and I intend to stay for a while. Dakara is not currently in need of my assistance, and it would be nice to be in the company of my friends again."

Daniel looked up in surprise. "That's wonderful news Teal'c!"

Teal'c bowed. "I am concerned about Major Carter. She does not look well."

_Well, I guess we were going to have to get into this at some point. Better now then never._ Daniel took a deep breath. "I don't think she has been sleeping well recently. I know that she has been spending even more time in her lab than usual."

"Why?"

"Actually Teal'c, she and I had a falling out with Jack. He called me while I was hanging out with Sam and got the completely wrong impression that she and I were on a date. Since then she has been alternately angry, upset, and sad about the whole ordeal."

Teal'c looked at his friend oddly. There was nothing in his and Major Carter's actions that implied that the two had been dating. "You are not dating though."

"No, we're not, and we never were. Jack didn't want to listen to the explanation though, and we haven't heard from him since. We're both hoping that he shows up to see you so that we can get this whole thing straightened out."

"Indeed. Do O'Neill and Carter still care for each other as they did before I left?"

"I know Sam does, and considering how jealously Jack is acting, I would guess he does too."

"The fraternization regulations no longer apply to them."

"That's true Teal'c, but Jack didn't act on anything before he left. Now he's in D.C., and Sam doesn't think that he wants to come back. She thinks he is gone for good."

Teal'c did not understand why his two friends refused to act on so natural a feeling. "Then we must change his mind Daniel Jackson."

Daniel face broke into a grin. "I was hoping you might say that. I could use the help. Now we just need a plan."

Just then there was a knock on the door. Teal'c opened it to find General Landry. "Oh good, Teal'c, Daniel, you're both here. I was hoping we could do a barbecue at my house tonight. That way anybody who wants to come see our favorite jaffa can. Carter already said she'd be there, can you guys make it?"

Both men nodded their heads.

"Great, see you at 1600."

Teal'c looked at Daniel. "If O'Neill is indeed coming to see me, this could be our opportunity."

Daniel looked up and laughed. "Indeed Teal'c, indeed."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N – My first fanfic, and ten chapters already! CRAZY! I have a few questions for anyone willing to answer… what does 'slash' mean? What is an AU? What is 'fluff'? Forgive me, I am still getting used to all of this terminology. Thank you, and enjoy!

**lllll **

Chapter 10

Jack stepped into the terminal and sighed. That had to be the shortest flight in history. As he continued walking his eyes searched the crowd to find an airman who would have likely been sent to pick him up. He had called Landry right before he left to inform him of his arrival time and ask to be picked up. As he left he had fleetingly remembered that he had never made hotel reservations, but figured for the short time he would be here that he could stay in one of the VIP rooms on the base.

He turned around as he felt someone approach behind him.

"Sir?"

Jack sighed. He hated being called sir. "Yes, that would probably be me."

"General Landry has instructed me to pick you up and drive you to his residence, sir."

_His residence?_ "Ok airman, whatever you need to do."

"This way sir." The airman motioned to the left and Jack began walking with him.

"Did General Landry say why you had to bring me to his place?" Jack was puzzled to find he wouldn't be going straight to the base.

"No sir."

"Alrighty then." Jack shook his head and walked out into the fresh Colorado air.

**lllll **

General Landry's backyard was full of people from the base who had missed Teal'c. Everyone milled around, catching up and sharing some of their favorite SG-1 stories. Of course, the stories became even more exaggerated every time they were told.

Sam walked over with a big smile to where Teal'c and Daniel were standing. "I just heard someone telling a group of people about the time we stopped fifty of Apophis' ships as they attacked earth. Do you think I should let them know that there were actually only two?"

Daniel laughed while Teal'c responded. "I do not think so Major Carter. Their version does sound more impressive."

As he listened to his friend, Daniel shook his head. "Somehow, I don't think that we have ever needed to exaggerate our feats to seem impressive."

Sam nodded. "All too true Daniel. I just wanted to share that bit of information with you two. I'm going to run inside and see if General Landry needs any help getting food out here."

As she walked off Teal'c looked at his companion. "She does seem in better spirits, Daniel Jackson."

"She does. I don't think she's been to a social event off the base in several weeks. Being outside and among friends is probably a good thing for her."

"General Landry has informed me that O'Neill should be arriving soon."

"Really? Wow, that was quicker than I expected. The sooner the better though, I guess." Daniel silently hoped that this was not going to be as bad as he feared it would be.

**lllll **

About fifteen minutes later Daniel wandered into the kitchen, wondering what had happened to Sam. Of all the scenarios in his mind, he never expected to find her at the sink scrubbing dishes in the soapy water and humming, nonetheless.

Daniel lifted his eyebrow in his best Teal'c impression. "Since when does SamCarter do the dishes?"

Sam jumped at the sound but smiled when she realized it was Daniel. "Well, I came in to help, and everything else seemed like it was in good shape. Plus…the General mentioned something about stocking the commissary with two months worth of blue jello if I could make these dishes disappear. How could I say no?"

"Manipulative man, isn't he?" Daniel laughed. He noticed Sam roll her neck twice around her shoulders as she continued washing. "Is something wrong with your neck Sam?"

She sighed. "It is just a little kink on the left, and I can't work it out with the soap and water on my hands." She twisted her torso away from the sink and smiled. "Would you mind helping me out?"

"Absolutely." He walked over to her and put his hands on her neck to loosen it up a little. Although he wasn't great with massages, he knew how to work out a kink. "So what was that tune you were humming?"

"Oh it's an old one…let me see if I can think of the title. By the way, that feels great, thank you so much."

Both of them turned as an airman hurriedly entered the room. "Major, Dr. Jackson, did either of you see where General O'Neill went?"

Sam and Daniel looked at each other confused. Daniel answered. "We haven't seen him. Is he here?"

"Yes he is. That's odd, I just saw him walk in here two seconds ago." The airman turned and hurried out to continue his search.

Daniel paused and looked at his hands on Sam's neck before deliberately stepping backwards. Sam faced him and said shakily, "If he was in the kitchen…"

"Then he saw one friend helping out another. If he jumped to another conclusion that's his own fault." Even as Daniel said it, he could feel anger rising. He quickly quelled it. "Maybe the airman was wrong. Don't worry about it Sam. I'm sure he'll be here for a few days. We'll figure this out."

Sam stared at her shoes. _Jack was here! Why did things only get worse when they seemed to be getting better_. "I guess we should go out back then."

"Yeah, I guess so." The two walked slowly out to the backyard.

Once out there, they looked around methodically, hoping to spot Jack first but they couldn't find him. They continued scanning the crowd until Teal'c reached them.

"If you are looking for O'Neill, he is no longer here."

Daniel looked at him with surprise written on his face. "What? Why did he leave?"

"I do not know Daniel Jackson. He approached me and informed me that he would visit with me tomorrow. Then he found the airman who had delivered him and requested to be brought to the base. He seemed irritated."

Sam sighed. "Great. Looks like we're going to have to wait to deal with this until tomorrow."

Daniel nodded sadly in agreement. Then he searched for a way to change the subject. "Hey look, the food is almost gone. We should eat." The three friends made their way over to the food and tried to enjoy the rest of the evening.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Special thank you to ProudAthena and Keenan Paige for answering my questions, I really appreciate it! Here's the next installment, enjoy!

Chapter 11

Jack O'Neill lay on his back on the bed in the VIP room staring at the ceiling. When he had gotten in last night he had thrown his suitcase open, quickly changed into shorts and a t-shirt, and gotten into the bed. He had hoped that after the long day he had sleep would come easy. Now it was 0600, and he had barely managed three fitful hours of sleep throughout the entire night.

Shifting his gaze from the ceiling to the clock, he pondered what to do. He could continue trying to sleep, but it was unlikely he would be unsuccessful. If he wasn't going to be able to sleep, the last thing he wanted was to be alone with his thoughts. With that in mind, he swung his legs over to the end of the bed and searched for suitable clothes to wander about the base in.

He decided to search out Teal'c because he knew the jaffa was staying at the base and didn't sleep much. As an added bonus, Daniel and Sam didn't usually come in for at least another hour, so he didn't have to worry about inadvertently running into either of them. As he closed the door behind him he tried to push thoughts of those two out of his mind and headed towards the commissary.

Sure enough, Teal'c was eating alone in the commissary. Jack grabbed coffee and food and headed over to join his old friend.

He nodded at Teal'c as he sat down. "How's it going buddy?"

Teal'c looked at O'Neill. "I am well, O'Neill, how are you?"

Jack shrugged, not really wanted to get into his personal issues at the moment. "Eh. How's Ry'ac doing?"

"He is completing his training even as we speak."

"That kid is a chip off the old block." Jack smiled quickly as he remembered what a good kid Ry'ac was. "Are you glad that you went to Dakara?"

Teal'c raised one eyebrow slightly in a gesture that only SG-1 knew. "It is good to spend time with my son and my mentor, however, I have found myself missing the strange manners of the Tauri."

Jack nearly choked on his coffee. "Really?" he sputtered.

"Are you alright O'Neill?"

"Yeah, of course. I never expected you to miss us crazy earthlings, that's all. If that is how you feel buddy, why don't you stay? We'd sure love to have you on this planet."

"I am considering that very idea O'Neill."

This time Jack smiled broadly and clapped Teal'c on the shoulder. "That's great T!" The two men lapsed into a comfortable silence. Teal'c, surprisingly, was the one to break it.

"Do you not miss Colorado, O'Neill?"

Jack looked up from his breakfast, startled at the question. "Nah, there's nothing to miss," he lied, staring back at his food.

"Then you are happy in D.C.?"

Jack shook his head. He didn't think he liked where this was going, but he respected Teal'c too much to get up and leave. "I'm fine there. I get up, go to work, go home, and sleep. During the day I usually deal with a lot of stupid people and have too much paperwork, but at least I have something to do."

"Are you not found of saying that there is more to life than working, O'Neill?"

Jack sighed. _He caught me there_. "There just is not much time for other stuff Teal'c, that's all."

"So you do not have acquaintances for company in D.C." Teal'c observed matter of factly.

"I didn't say that! I can make friends if I want to. I just don't know anyone over there real well yet," Jack insisted indignantly.

"Do you not miss your friends here?"

"I've talked to Hammond and Landry a couple of times." Jack waited, he knew it was coming, and groaned inwardly…

"What about Daniel Jackson and Major Carter?"

Anger was slowly rising in Jack's gut at those two names. Since it wasn't directed at Teal'c, he held it in. "What about them?"

"Are they not your friends?"

"It's just…"

"Have you not told Major Carter how you feel about her?" Teal'c sat back in his chair, smug in his own way. Although he knew he was provoking Jack, he honestly felt like someone needed to smack some sense into the man.

Jack's jaw dropped. _Where did that come from_? "How I feel? I worked with her. That's it. Nothing more there." His eyes showed fire now, but still he held himself in check.

"Your reaction indicates that you feel very strongly for her O'Neill. There are no longer regulations that impact you two. Why have you not pursued Major Carter?"

Jack shoved away from the table. "One – I said there was nothing more. Two – If there was, it would be nobody else's business. Three – I live halfway across the goddamn country. Four – She's… Got… A… Boyfriend!" He nearly shouted last part. "I need to go." Jack stomped back to his quarters.

Sam had just gotten in when she saw Jack stomping towards her down the hall. She correctly guessed that he hadn't seen her yet. Although she considered turning and running before he saw her, she was desperate to try to talk to him.

"Sir? Is everything ok?"

Jack's eyes snapped up at that voice. How dare she act all concerned. It was her fault that he was pissed. The voice inside him argued with him – _no, it's your fault for overreacting. You should have told her when you had the chance._ He shook his head to clear the voice. "What do you want Carter." It was more of a statement than a question.

Sam took a step back, starting to regret approaching him. "Well, uh, I was hoping we could talk sir, you know catch up a bit?"

Although that voice in Jack's head begged him to calm down and have that talk with her, Jack was beyond reasoning at the moment. "What do we have to talk about Carter." Again, a statement rather than a question.

His attitude was starting to stir anger within Sam as well. She almost asked him what his problem was, but held herself back. Her tone was colder and sarcastic when she did speak though. "I don't know sir. Life? Work? Anything? Or maybe it hasn't bothered you that we haven't spoken in six weeks?" Unconsciously she widened her stance in a defensive posture and glared at him.

_She is sexy when she gets mad_. SHUT UP! Jack's internal war continued. "Let's see. Yup, I live and I work. There you go. Get out of my way Carter."

Although Carter moved to the side, this time she couldn't hold her tongue back. "What is your problem with me Jack! I haven't even talked to you, so how in world could I have pissed you off!"

Jack began to walk by her, willing himself to ignore her, but he couldn't. When he looked at her, all he could see were Daniel's hands on her neck, touching her. It was driving him crazy. "Doesn't matter Carter. I'm leaving tonight and you can go back to forgetting all about me."

That left Sam speechless as he slammed the door behind him. Finally, she turned and methodically walked back to her lab. She locked the door behind her and began pacing. Thoughts whipped through her mind.

_That jerk! He has not right to be angry at me! I did nothing wrong!_

_He did look hot all fired up._

_How dare he react like that! I'm not his property, I was never even his girlfriend!_

_I miss him so much._

_If that's how he is now, I don't want to be around him._

Then there was the one thought that kept running through her mind. _For him to be that mad, he must care more than you ever thought he did – and now you've lost him._

Sam sank down, and finally let herself cry.

**lllll **

A/N: Alright, I know it was emotional, but I promise, this is the lowest point. It is about time things started looking up! Please R & R!


	12. Chapter 12

Torn 12

A/N: I am SO sorry! Please forgive me for taking so long to post this. Real life got in the way big time – I started student teaching, and then my cooperating teacher fell ill, so I had to start teaching much earlier than I was supposed to. Stuff should (hopefully) start calming down now. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding, and thanks to stusue for giving me a gentle reminder  I went back and reread the whole thing before this chapter, so I think it'll fit in nicely. Please R & R! I am hoping to post a chapter every weekend (at least) but a little encouragement won't hurt!

* * *

Chapter 12

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door to Sam's lab. Quickly she tried to wipe the trails from her tears off her face and compose herself. When she finally opened the door, a concerned Teal'c was standing in front of her.

She gave a half smile and stepped aside so that he could come in. "Hey Teal'c. It sure is a nice surprise to see you outside my door." Sam turned away to wipe her eyes one last time. "So, what brings you here?"

"I could not help but overhear the altercation between you and O'Neill. I was concerned that it would have affected you deeply."

Sam winced inwardly at the mention of the fight. "Don't worry about me Teal'c, I'll be fine. It was sweet of you to come by though."

"You do not look fine."

Although she should have expected such abruptness from Teal'c, she was still a little surprised by his statement. Most people would have left her alone after her comment. Then again, Teal'c isn't most people… "It just upset me a little. Like I said though, I will be fine."

Despite her reassurances, Teal'c felt the need to make sure that O'Neill had not upset her too badly. "It appears that O'Neill is unclear as to the status of your friendship with Daniel Jackson."

A small part of Sam smiled at Teal'c phrasing. "Yes, Teal'c, it does appear that way." _Of course, she thought, if he had only asked her about it then she could have cleared it up for him_. Once again she felt frustration begin to build inside her.

"It appears as though this friendship affects O'Neill deeply."

"Well, it shouldn't. Daniel and I are just friends." She took a deep breathe as her eyes began to water. "Besides, even if I was seeing someone, much less if Daniel and I were seeing each other, it would have nothing to do with O'Neill. In fact, he shouldn't even care."

"In fact, O'Neill is behaving as though he cares very much."

Sam shook her head. "No." Simultaneously she wanted Teal'c to be right and she refused to believe him. "If he is upset about anything it is out of some misplaced notion that Daniel and I betrayed him."

"If that is true, would it not be because he cares deeply?"

One tear fell down her cheek. "I doubt it," she said, denial coursing through her head. She didn't want Teal'c to be right, because she didn't want to believe that Jack may have ever felt that way. Especially since even if he did, he didn't now. She didn't want to believe that she has screwed up her one chance with him…it was easier to believe that the chance had never existed.

Teal'c remained quiet for a few moments. Sam was proving more obstinate than anticipated. He could tell that she was very upset about the whole situation, and he decided right then and there that his two closest friends had been foolish for long enough. In front of him, Sam had begun pacing back and forth. Teal'c guessed correctly that it was to help distract her from the conversation they were having. Teal'c took a deep breath and decided to keep bothering Sam. Sooner or later she would have to understand.

"I have learned much about the Tauri during my time on this planet, Samantha Carter. I have also learned much about you and O'Neill over the course of our friendships."

Sam barely acknowledged Teal'c comment with a murmered, "Of course you have Teal'c." She was too busy concentrating on keeping her emotions in check while convincing herself that Jack had never really cared.

Nonetheless Teal'c continued. "O'Neill is currently behaving more strangely than I have ever observed of him before. I strongly believe that he is demonstrating the symptoms of what the Tauri call jealousy."

Teal'c smiled inwardly as Sam stopped pacing. "Jealousy?" she whispered incredulously. The thought had occurred to her before, briefly, but she had pushed it aside because there was too much hope associated with it. If he was jealous, than that meant he might still care! That didn't make any sense though. Why would jealous man do so much to alienate the very source of his jealousy? She shook her head. "No, Teal'c that doesn't make any sense. I mean, it would be nice…but O'Neill has been a jerk to me recently! If he is jealous, shouldn't he be trying to win me back or something?" She looked at Teal'c expectantly, knowing that he would likely agree with her, but hoping that he might have some further insight.

"O'Neill has a deep sense of loyalty. He would not attempt to 'win you back' from someone that he once considered a loyal friend."

Sam shook her head…again. This time she was trying to hold tears of frustration and hope from breaking through. The part of her that agreed with Teal'c was becoming stronger and stronger, but still she tried to deny it. She well knew that hope is a dangerous emotion. "Still Teal'c, that doesn't explain why he has been so distant and cruel. If you are right, than why hasn't he tried to be our friend like normal?"

"I believe that O'Neill is attempting to distance himself from a situation that he does not want to accept. It is easier to drive you away than for O'Neill to explain himself."

_Could Teal'c really have a point? This did sound like a perfectly reasonable explanation for Jack's unreasonable behavior._ A small part of her was still in disbelief, but it was fading away. _Could this really be true?_ Inside, she played out Jack's recent action in her head. She still wasn't ready to forgive him for how badly he had been treating her. Finally, she made a decision.

Teal'c could see the tug or war between Sam's emotions play out on her face, and he was relieved to see a small smile spread across her lips as the hope she had so desperately tried to eliminate broke through.

"Teal'c…I think I should go talk to him. Maybe he has cooled down enough that I could at least explain things. I didn't deserve to be cut out of his life like this, but if you are really right, maybe I can try to understand. At least I'll know…" She looked up at Teal'c's eyes.

"Indeed Major Carter. I shall accompany you to prevent any further altercations."

With a small amount of trepidation, Sam followed Teal'c out of her lab. _Well_, she thought, _I guess it is going to be all or nothing_. She took a few deep breaths as they approached the door to the guest quarters and Teal'c knocked…


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: There is a little bit of language in this chapter, just a head's up. This takes place during the last chapter…I already told you what Teal'c and Sam were chatting about…now here is what Daniel was doing…

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Chapter 13

Daniel pulled into the base and sat in his car as he gathered himself together. He stifled a yawn as he pulled the key out of the ignition. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Instead, he had tossed and turned as he combed his mind for a way to get through to Jack. Now, hours later, all he had come up with was to try to talk to, and hopefully reason with, Jack. This seemed like the best strategy…provided that Jack would talk to him. With a deep breath and an even deeper sigh, Daniel stepped out of the car and approached the base.

Daniel assumed that since it was so early, Jack would likely still be in the guest quarters at the base. Thus, he pushed the appropriate button in the elevator and waited for the doors to close. On the way down, he ran through the vague plan that he had constructed. He would go down to the guest quarters and knock on Jack's door. With any luck, Jack would at least open the door, and then… well…at that point Daniel would have to say something. He hadn't quite decided on what yet.

With a little more luck, by the end of the conversation Daniel and Jack would have reprised their friendship, and Jack would be well on his way to fixing things with Sam. As the elevator came to a stop, Daniel kicked at the wall. That was never going to happen if he couldn't figure out what to say to Jack to get there. Nonetheless, he stepped out of the elevator purposely and walked to Jack's door.

When he reached the door, Daniel lifted his hand to knock, and hesitated. Instead, he decided to fidget with his glasses and began pacing. He continued searching his mind intently for the right words, and was so deep in thought that he almost ran into a young airman who was trying to get to Jack's door.

"Oh, sorry." Daniel stumbled back a few steps.

"No problem Dr. Jackson."

Daniel frowned slightly, trying to remember the airman's name. He hated it when people that he didn't know by name knew him. After giving up he said, "Thanks. Are you here to see Jack?"

"Uh, yes. He asked me to come down and let him know when I could drive him back to the airport." The airman looked a bit nervous at the idea of seeing Jack O'Neill.

"The airport?" Daniel was puzzled. "I thought he was staying for a few days?"

"Well, not as of this morning." The airman looked around to make sure no one else was around before adding, "He sounded like he is in a sour mood. My guess is that someone in Washington screwed up, and now he has to go back early."

Daniel looked at the young man in front of him. "You said he wasn't in a good mood?" The airman nodded. Inwardly, Daniel groaned. If anything, he would bet that the problem was here, in Colorado. That made Daniel think. "Actually, if you don't mind, I'll take him."

The airman's eyes grew a little. "Really?"

"Certainly," Daniel added with emphasis. "I'll let him know. You go on back to whatever you were doing." _If Jack is expecting an airman, maybe seeing me will throw him a little off guard._

"Thanks Dr. Jackson." The airman paused and then added, "Good luck." He turned smartly and was soon out of sight.

The encounter with the airman gave Daniel a little more courage, so before he could back down again, he knocked on the door. Then, he held his breath and waited. After an irritated "It's open" came through the door, Daniel took a deep breath, turned the knob, and stepped in.

Daniel let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Jack's back was to him. He quickly shut the door. "It's about time you came down!" Jack was hastily stuffing his few clothes back into his suitcase. "I need to get out of here. Let's go."

As Jack slammed the suitcase shut and started to turn, Daniel piped up. "Uh, actually, it's me Jack."

Jack stopped dead still. Slowly he turned the rest of the way around so that his eyes met Daniel's. With ice in his voice he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Daniel felt like he was frozen in place. Carefully he guessed the distance between them to be about 5 meters. That was much to close for comfort, but to be any further away he'd have to go back into the hall. "Jack…I know you probably aren't thrilled to see me…but we need to talk."

Jack held Daniel's gaze. "There is nothing to discuss. I am headed to the surface to get a ride to the airport." Jack closed half of the gap between them with two steps and Daniel swallowed nervously. "Get out of my way so I can get out of here."

Frustration was slowly rising within Daniel. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong! "Actually, I told the airman who was supposed to take you that you didn't need a ride anymore."

"Then I'll get a cab. Move."

"No." Daniel's steady refusal surprised both of them. "If we don't deal with this now, we never will. If you need to get out of here that badly, move me yourself."

Jack took one step back. Daniel didn't scare him, but at the same time Jack hadn't seen him this worked up in a long time. Although part of Jack wanted to punch Daniel and get it over with, the rest of him argued to, at the very least, listen. He had already alienated two friends today, wasn't that enough?

Jack took a deep breath, trying to dispatch some of the anger that had built up over the course of a very short morning. "Most of me doesn't want to hurt you Daniel. Five minutes." He put the suitcase down and folded his arms. "Starting now."

While Daniel was frustrated and relieved at the same time, he managed to maintain his cool on the outside. "Fine. I'll get straight to the point. You are being an ass." True, bluntness wasn't usually his style, but he wasn't about to back down now.

Jack took the insult evenly. "I would rather be an ass than be disloyal."

"Disloyal?!" Daniel cool quickly started to fade. "How many years have we been teammates and friends?! You think that I would ever be disloyal?!" Daniel started pacing back in forth, but still stayed in the relative proximity of the door to prevent Jack from walking out. He stopped suddenly and looked at Jack. "If you think I could have been disloyal, then you must never have thought very much of me."

A new feeling was creeping through Jack's system. While he was still angry, he was beginning to regret how abrasive he had been towards Daniel. After all, for years Daniel had been one of the people he had trusted most in his whole life. It didn't make sense for that to have changed so drastically. Nonetheless, Daniel had no right to be with Sam…_unless that makes her happy_. He stared at Daniel as he argued with himself. Finally, he gave in to the guilt and the sadness that he had been fighting to hold in for weeks. He sank down on the bed and asked the question that had been plaguing him. "Why Sam?"

Daniel stared in confusion at his friend. One minute they had been staring each other down, and now it was like Jack had given up. Daniel didn't even register the question. "What?"

Jack looked up at him. "Why Sam? You always had a good track record with women, alien or earthly. The nurses were all crazy for you. Why did it have to be Sam?"

Daniel just dropped his jaw. He wasn't used to Jack like this.

Jack stood again and walked back and forth. Now he was too anxious to sit still. "I mean, granted, Sam is amazing, but I never thought you too would…" he trailed off. "I just always figured…"

Daniel shook his head as everything except an intense sympathy for his friend dissipated inside him. "Jack, there is nothing between Sam and I." Jack opened his mouth to argue, so Daniel kept going. "We are close friends, that's it. We have spent a lot of time together because without you and Teal'c here, neither of us have many other close friends."

Jack listened and slowly digested what Daniel was saying. The guilt that had entered his system was quickly accompanied by humiliation as he realized what an idiot he had been. He sat again as he tried to accept what Daniel was saying. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't seem to want to listen."

Jack sighed. Space Monkey and Carter had always been close. In fact, with a clearer head, it didn't seem so odd that they would go out together, or that Daniel would offer her a backrub. They were both nerds. "I guess you have a point." He smiled wryly. "Well, at least you're still talking to me. Somehow I don't think that Sam or Teal'c are terribly fond of me at the moment."

Daniel walked over to sit next to Jack. "Well, I figured you would come around eventually. What happened with them?" Jack proceeded to relate his earlier conversations with Sam and Teal'c to Daniel. "Wow, you've been busy this morning."

"Unfortunately."

"Well, Teal'c is pretty reasonable, it probably won't take much to get back on his good side."

"That's true. I'm a little more concerned about Carter."

Daniel smiled a little. "I bet she'll forgive you too. It's about time you two talked."

Jack paused and looked at Daniel with a little bit of confusion. "What do you mean?"

At that Daniel laughed. "Honestly Jack. You two are the thickest people I know. You aren't her CO anymore."

Before Jack could respond, there was a knock on the door. "It's probably another airman, checking to make sure that I got a ride out of here."

Daniel grinned, thinking of the young man from earlier. "I'll be they'll go away if you don't respond… can I offer you some advice?"

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A/N: See, it is finally looking up! Only a few more chapters, please R & R!!! 


	14. Chapter 14

I am SO sorry! The last seven months or so have been absolutely ridiculous. I completed an intense one year master's program, and dealt with a lot of changes personally. The good news is that I have a much better perspective on life now, and I should be able to write again. Please forgive me, and enjoy!

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Sam and Teal'c waited anxiously for a response from the VIP quarters that they had been knocking on. Sam furrowed her brows at the silence that answered them. "Do you think he is wandering around the base somewhere?"

Teal'c inclined his head slightly towards the door. "I do not believe so. He seems to be having a conversation in the room at this moment."

Sam held her breath as she listened carefully and managed to detect two male voices from within. "He must be ignoring us. I wish I could hear what they are saying!"

Teal'c knocked again, with significantly more force. After a moment, he heard footsteps approaching the door. "I do believe that we are going to be acknowledged." The footsteps stopped, but the door did not swing open as both Teal'c and Sam expected it would. Instead, O'Neill's voice rang through it.

"Airman, I'm sticking around here for a bit after all, so I won't need a ride to the airport now. You can go back to your assignment." The footsteps quickly retreated, and without even thinking Sam raised her hand to knock even more insistently. Teal'c watched her as she continued knocking until they heard Jack return to the door.

Jack was annoyed by now. The incessant knocking was giving him a headache that he didn't need considering the dramatic events of the short morning. Very quickly all of his earlier anger was being redirected to whomever was the source of the pounding. With his hand clenching the doorknob tightly, he swung it open and used his most commanding voice. "I TOLD YOU THAT I…"

He stopped abruptly as his eyes met the blue eyes that were staring at him. Sam's training had kept her from physically cringing at Jack's tone, but he could see the taken aback look in her eyes. He didn't even realize Teal'c presence beside her until he spoke. "I do not believe you were expecting us, O'Neill."

Jack shook his head to break the connection with Sam and looked up at Teal'c. His anger had entirely dissipated and was again replaced with the slight feeling of embarrassment over his reaction. "No, I wasn't T. I figured that it was another airman coming to take me to the airport."

"We do not intend to take you to the airport, O'Neill. Samantha Carter and I have come to have a discussion with you."

"Of course." Jack looked down for a second and could see Sam still staring at him, speechless, out of the corner of his eye. "Actually big guy, I owe you an apology." He looked up at Teal'c. "I was a bit of a jerk in the commissary this morning."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow. "Indeed O'Neill. It was unlike you, however your reaction to my antagonistic comments is understandable. Let it no longer concern you."

"Thanks T."

Daniel only now approached the door, and Sam blinked when she realized that he was there. Jack's unabrasive new attitude towards Teal'c had not escaped her, and she wondered if it had anything to do with Daniel. _Maybe I will be able to really talk to him now. _She could feel hope begin resurfacing inside of her.

Teal'c grew impatient with the silence among the four ex-members of SG-1 and didn't hesitate to break it. "O'Neill, it is time that you and Samantha Carter talk to each other."

"Agreed," Daniel said quietly. "In fact, Teal'c, why don't you and I go hang out in your quarters while these two sort things out."

Teal'c bowed his head in acknowledgement, and turned down the hall. Daniel followed him, leaving Sam and Jack standing on opposite sides of the doorjam. Sam was the first to speak. "Sir, can I come in? I would prefer to offer as little chance for others to eavesdrop as possible." Her voice was steady but quiet. In response Jack merely stepped aside so she could walk in and closed the door behind her.

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I know it has been a while, so please let me know what you think! There will only be one more chapter of this story, and it will be up by the end of the week. Thank you to all who have read any and all of my first fanfic and, as always, constructive input is always appreciated. 


	15. Chapter 15

Alrighty folks, this is the last chapter! Enjoy!

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As Jack finished closing the door with a small thud, Sam quickly crossed the small room to put as much distance between them as possible. As she tried to gather her thoughts, Jack cleared his throat and broke the silence. "Listen, Carter, I…"

"Excuse me?" _I can not believe this_. "Back to Carter again I see." _Why should I make this easy for him?_ Inside, Sam's anger was resurfacing even as she tried to focus on how to reach him.

"Oh. Right." _Great, this is going well_. "Sam," he began again, with an emphasis on her name, "I think I probably owe you an apology too."

Sam crossed her arms in a clearly defensive stance. "An apology, Jack?" She said it evenly, mimicking his emphasis on names. "What for?" There was a challenge in her voice, as if daring him to actually go through with the apology.

Jack began pacing to fight off the frustration that was building inside of him. _I deserve this_. "To begin with, I was a jerk this morning to you, and that wasn't fair."

Sam opened her mouth to cut in fiercely, "That's the least of…" but Jack stopped pacing and held up his hand as he continued.

"Yes, that's the least of it. You are absolutely right." Sam quieted down. He was looking straight at her now, and his eyes gave clear insight to the sincerity of his words. "I never should have assumed that you and Daniel would have, errr, dated, and deliberately hidden it from me. We're better friends than that. I had no right to be angry at either of you for that, much less let that anger dictate my actions."

Sam's anger quickly dissipated and she sat on the edge of the bed, thinking. She was quiet, waiting for more. _There has to be more, right?_ As a minute slowly passed she asked, "So you were only angry because you thought that Daniel and I had kept it from you?"

_Tell her!_ Even as Jack's thoughts encouraged him to finally tell Sam everything, he was at a loss for the words to do so with. "You are…both…very important to me. That would be kind of a big deal, and I would hate to think that you guys would feel like you couldn't tell me." Jack resumed pacing, knowing how empty his words sounded.

Sam's eyes followed him as he walked back and forth. _Either I am reading into this, or there is something he's not saying._ "So what if it was true? And we had told you? What then?"

Jack sighed, feeling cornered. "As your friend, if you were both happy, I would be happy for you both."

"There are a lot of conditions in that statement, Jack."

He breathed in sharply. Internally, he was at war. He could tell her and see what happened, or maintain their friendship and let things lie. His heart told him that he was already in too far, but still he resisted. "It is what it is."

_It is what it is? What does that mean?_ Sam was similarly torn. Here he was, live and in person, and this conversation was not going at all the way she expected. She felt like he was holding back, but couldn't be sure. _It's all or nothing now_. With a few deep breaths, she decided to take the risk, albeit slowly. "What are you doing in DC Jack?"

Jack turned sharply and stopped pacing at the abrupt change in conversation. He couldn't decide whether to be annoyed, concerned or just intrigued. He settled for a little of all three. "I work in Homeland Security, you know that."

"I know you hate it there. I know you hate the city, the paperwork, the job, and the isolation. Why haven't you retired already?"

"I have considered it, but I can only handle so much free time by myself. I get into less trouble this way." Sam was staring at him like she was waiting for something, and Jack was doing his best to figure out where this conversation was going.

Sam stood up and began pacing in front of the bed. If she was going to do this it was now or never._ I can go into a Jaffa stronghold without a second thought, but my palms start sweating when I try to talk to Jack. Great. _ She looked at the door. Jack was slightly to the right of it, so she could say her piece and walk out without him getting in her path. _Here goes…_ "Jack, one of us is an idiot. Possibly both of us."

Jack looked at her with as little expression on his face as possible. "Sam," he said, once again with emphasis, "I don't take too kindly to being insulted after just giving an apology. After, I'm not particularly fond of being insulted at all."

Sam shook her head. "Either you're an idiot for leaving, or I am an idiot for hoping you wouldn't. It must be me then. I had the completely absurd notion that possibly, just possibly, once we were out of the same chain of command things might change between us."

"Things?" _Does she really mean what I think she means?_

"Yes, Jack, things." She was getting worked up. Now that she had begun though, how could she stop? "I thought the dynamic of our relationship might change. I thought that we could take it out of the room." Jack just stood there expressionless, so she continued. "Jack, you are more important to me than anyone else ever has been. I hoped that once this time came, we might finally get our chance." With still no reaction from Jack, she shook her head. Softly she added, "Or not" and she strode purposely to the door, hoping to escape as painlessly as possible.

This whole time Jack's mind was reeling. In disbelief he heard Sam's words. At the same time Daniel's advice resurfaced. "Don't let her get away." As Jack remembered those words he realized that was exactly what was happening. Sam had reached the door and was about to get away! With one step he put his left hand on the door to keep it closed and put his right on Sam's waist. "Sam. Sam look at me."

Sam kept her head down out of embarrassment for the tears that had begun pooling in her eyes._ I hate being a girl_. Nonetheless, she used her inner strength to bring her chin up so that her eyes looked directly into his. Instead of finding the pity she expected, there was something else. Hope began to grow inside her yet again.

As her hand fell from the doorknob, Jack brought his hand off the door to brush the first tear of her cheek. He smiled as he realized that the woman he loved was just as crazy about him as he was about her. "Sam, you were right."

"Oh?" She managed a small smile at those words.

As he brought his lips to hers he whispered, "I am the idiot," and kissed her soundly once she had finished laughing.

The End!

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Thank you to everyone who has read this, and especially to everyone who has reviewed! I would really like to write another, but I'm not quite sure about a new plot, so if you have any ideas I would love some suggestions. Thank you again!!! 


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